The present invention is directed to the field of automated dispensing systems, more particularly to the transport of objects such as pharmacy bottles/vials through an automated dispensing system. The present invention relates to an automated vial feed system for an automated prescription filling system. The system has a plurality of sensors located above a vial distribution table for controlling the pace of vial delivery to the table. The sensors determine the load of vials on the table and a control system uses the information as feedback to the vial delivery system.
Many health benefit plan providers and retail pharmacies offer their clients the option of obtaining prescription drugs by mail. Mail order pharmacies ship prescription drugs to a client's home so the client is not required to visit a pharmacy to fill a prescription in person. For clients with chronic conditions or other health conditions that require maintenance drugs, a mail order prescription program is an attractive benefit because it is more convenient for the clients and typically less expensive than obtaining prescription drugs at a neighborhood pharmacy.
Most mail order pharmacies use automated systems and dispensing lines to process and ship a high volume of prescriptions on a daily basis. Each prescription medication is typically dispensed into a vial or other container labeled with data from an electronic order that identifies the patient, drug (e.g., by NDC), dosage, and quantity. Each medication is dispensed in its own vial and in many instances, multiple vials are combined into a single package and shipped to a single address for a client with one or more chronic conditions requiring multiple medications. The automated dispensing system, therefore, must be intelligent and capable of determining which vials should be combined into a single package and routing them accordingly. Sensors deployed at many locations along the system detect the prescription information on the bottles along with RFID tag information to intelligently route and divert the vials to the appropriate conveyor or destination. If the vial is to be combined with other vials (multi-vial order), the vials are sorted and grouped together, preferably towards the end of the dispensing line. The vials are ultimately routed to the final location for packaging and mailing to the consumer.
Depending upon how the technology is implemented and deployed within a mail order pharmacy, a substantial number of steps in the fulfillment process may be automated and the need for human intervention minimized. Transporting bottles through the automated dispensing lines in an efficient, timely, accurate, and consistent manner is crucial for filling the high volume of mail order prescriptions.
Product conveyor and accumulation systems are previously known. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,575,287 and 6,648,124, describe product conveying and accumulation systems for transporting products from an upstream to downstream location. These systems are comprised of multiple conveyors positioned next to each to move objects from one end of the conveyor to the other end. These systems can also be used with guide rails and object guides to move objects to desired locations or outbound channels. If these outbound channels are full or backed up, the objects are allowed to circulate around the conveyor system until a channel becomes free.
The present invention relates to a new type of automated pharmacy prescription fulfillment system using specifically configured mass flow conveyor tables at predetermined points in the system to route vials to desired destinations within the automated pharmacy system. These mass flow conveyor tables allow vials to move along the conveyors systems in a mass flow rather than a single-file line. These mass flow tables eliminate the need for complex control systems, reduce the need for many diversion mechanisms for diverting vials off single-file conveyor lanes, and reduces the need for many sensors for sensing and balancing vial loads on single-lane conveyors. For example, use of mass flow conveyor tables at certain predetermined points of the automated pharmacy system can be used to accumulate vials and/or to distribute them to outbound conveyor lanes automatically as these outbound lanes become available (or open up). These mass flow conveyor tables can also be configured to provide overflow lanes in case the primary lanes back up.
The present system uses specifically configured mass flow vial conveyor systems at predetermined locations of the automated pharmacy line to fill prescriptions orders in a more effective, faster, and efficient way than traditional conveyor systems using single-file conveyor lines.